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Oranges aren’t just delightfully tasty, nor are they simply a great source of vitamins C, but the fruit is our latest ally on the war on waste. Purpose Co, a branch of food rescue service OzHarvest, has just welcomed a series of vending machines which offer fresh orange juice to punters, created from fruit that would otherwise be wasted.
Currently scattered throughout Sydney CBD, the Juice for Good vending machines utilise oranges that have been discarded by commercial buyers. Instead of in the bin, these pieces of fruit are churning out tonne after tonne of tasty juice for the thirsty in the New South Wales capital.
“Almost half of all fruit grown in Australia does not make it off the farm,” explains Purpose Co’s Louise Tran of the inspiration for the project. “Oranges might be rejected due to blemishes, marks and bruises on the outside, or they aren’t the right shape, size or colour, even though they’re perfectly delicious on the inside. We thought what better way to show these unloved oranges love than by turning them into freshly squeezed juice in a super cool vending machine!”
The $4 cups of fresh juice have already proven a successful way to reduce unnecessary waste, says Tran. “Over the short time that Juice For Good has been running (since September 2018) we have saved close to 10 tonnes of oranges otherwise destined for landfill. As we roll out even more machines this year, we could be saving between 2-4 tonnes of oranges per week.”
The vending machines have other benefits to boot, including offering support to local farmers (from whom fruit is sourced), and OzHarvest, who use profits to fund similar community-related projects.
“All profits go to support OzHarvest’s work in food rescue, education, engagement and innovation,” Tran continues “OzHarvest have just delivered a milestone 100 million meals to people in need around the country, using surplus food that would have otherwise ended up in landfill. The funds raised by Juice For Good will support their incredible work even further.”
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